Wood Lot

Choosing the right tree or shrub for your area - Tree planting and care

Answering these key questions can help you choose the right tree or shrub for your area:

1. Coniferous, deciduous or shrub?

Coniferous trees keep their needles all year. They are good trees to plant for privacy and wind breaks or shelterbelts

Pines include native white, red, jack, etc. They have long needles.

Spruces and firs include black and white. They have short needles. They are important sources of wood fiber in northern Minnesota, and are excellent choices for windbreaks or shelterbelts.

Cedars include white or red. Cedars have scaled needles. Smaller than pines, and spruces, cedars can provide wildlife cover and food.

Deciduous trees lose their leaves in fall or winter. They are good trees to plant on the south side of your home to provide shade in the summer and warmth in the winter when the sun can shine through. Deciduous trees are known for their beautiful leaf color when they drop their leaves each fall.

2. What size tree or shrub?

Tree species vary in their height and width. For large restoration projects or planting several trees in one area, consider their mature size. (Some of the trees listed are available throughMinnesota State Forest Nursery).

Note: Use trees with a mature height of 18 feet or less within 18 feet of a power line.

Short and skinny trees or shrubs: Grow up to 18 feet tall and about 20 feet wide.

Sample list

American Hazelnut

Common Chokecherry

Wild plum

Crabapple

Dogwood

Nannyberry

Medium and skinny trees: Grow 25 to 45 feet tall and about 20 feet wide. They are great for areas near fences and smaller places.

Note: Only short trees that reach a maximum of 18 feet tall can be planted under overhead utility lines. You must stay at least 10 to 15 feet away from the house foundation and at least 5 feet away from fences, patios, and other surface structures.

5. Decision

Collect the answers to steps 1–4.

Go to your local nursery and pick out the tree and or shrub that will fit into your area.